Midrand has grown quickly, and its water infrastructure hasn't always kept pace.

Johannesburg Water is now working on several projects intended to increase storage, improve water pressure and make the network more reliable.

The three key projects are the Carlswald Reservoir, Erand Tower and Blue Hills Tower. Together, Johannesburg Water says they should add around 40 million litres of capacity to the system.

Here's where each one stands.

Carlswald Reservoir: 26% complete

Construction of the new 20-million-litre Carlswald Reservoir began in January 2026 and is currently around 26% complete.

The reservoir is being built to increase storage and ease pressure on the existing Erand system. Johannesburg Water's earlier planning identified areas including Kyalami, Barbeque Downs, Beaulieu, Blue Hills, Glenferness, and surrounding developments as expected to benefit from the wider Carlswald project.

The project is expected to be completed in 2027.

Erand Tower: Almost finished

The Erand Tower and pump station are much further along, at around 96% complete.

The new tower is designed to improve water pressure, particularly in higher-lying parts of Midrand.

The project hasn't been without problems. Earlier this year, Johannesburg Water confirmed that work had been temporarily suspended after the approved contract budget was exhausted. More recently, the utility said delays had also been caused by the procurement of equipment with long lead times.

At 96%, however, it is the closest of the three projects to completion.

Blue Hills Tower: Still some way off

Residents waiting for the Blue Hills Tower will have to wait longer.

The project is still in the design and land-acquisition stage. Johannesburg Water says land issues and objections from interested and affected parties have delayed the process.

The planned tower is intended to improve pressure and supply as development continues in the area.

Why is Midrand struggling with water?

Rapid development is a major part of the problem.

Johannesburg Water has acknowledged that residential, commercial and informal development in Midrand has grown faster than the infrastructure needed to support it.

Residents have already experienced the consequences. Earlier this year, parts of Midrand suffered extended low pressure and dry taps following problems affecting the wider Rand Water supply system. Johannesburg Water said high demand made recovery particularly difficult in Midrand.

The longer-term response includes more reservoirs and towers, upgraded pipelines and additional pump stations.

Will this stop Midrand's water outages?

Not completely.

The new infrastructure should give the local network more storage and better pressure, but it cannot prevent every interruption.

Midrand still depends on the wider Johannesburg and Rand Water systems, so major bulk-supply failures, power problems, pipe bursts and unusually high demand can still affect supply.

These projects should better equip the local system to cope with Midrand's growing population and development.

The Bottom Line

There is progress, but Midrand's water upgrade is not a quick fix.

Erand Tower is almost complete, Carlswald Reservoir is under construction, and Blue Hills Tower still has some way to go.

For residents who have dealt with low pressure and unreliable supply, the important change is that additional capacity is finally being built into a system that has struggled to keep up with Midrand's growth.